1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the construction of swimming pools and more particularly to a form system for constructing the gutter and bond beam portion of a swimming pool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention is concerned with construction of permanent swimming pools which are formed by excavating a hole into the ground having the shape and contours required for the pool. Reinforcing steel is placed in the hole and sprayed with concrete to thereby form a concrete bottom and sidewalls. Additionally, a bond beam is formed around the upper peripheral portion of the pool which may also form a bed for a curb or deck. The bond beam may be formed integral with the sidewalls or may be formed later in which case reinforcing steel is left projecting from the sidewall which is then tied into the reinforcing steel for the bond beam. After completion of the bond beam, it is common to install ceramic tile around the upper pool wall periphery and the curb portions of the bond beam.
Most pools include a scum gutter construction around the periphery of the pool just above the water line. The gutter is provided with drains spaced along its length which connect to a gutter drain line. Typically, after pouring of the concrete for the bond beam, workers must manually form the gutter to have the proper profile with trowels. After the concrete has cured, each tile must be then set by hand and thereafter the gutters and interior surfaces of the pool coated with a finish concrete coat. A major cost factor in such conventional construction of the bond beam portion of a swimming pool is the labor for forming the gutters to the proper profile and for installing the ceramic tile after the concrete has cured. The construction and tiling of the bond beam and gutters is also the most time consuming phase of pool construction and often requires over 80% of the total time of construction. There is, therefore, a need for a system which will reduce the labor of tiling, the time to construct the bond beam, and therefore, the cost.